2013-09-28 - The Forever Timeline

Title: The Forever Timeline
Summary: What has been will be again, what has been done will be done again; there is nothing new under the sun. WARNING: Contains potential Puella Magi Madoka Magica spoilers.
Who: Homura Akemi, Amu Hinamori, Daichi Daigo
Where: Ohtori Academy
OOC Date: 28/9/2013

Daichi Daigo has posed:

Lunch time. The most important time of the day for budding students who live and die on brain food. A time for socializing, for bartering, and for learning about the world economy. Whether it is in strengthening one's bonds by exchanging delicious bento box treats through heated negotiations, showing off the latest octopus-themed dish in a social game of heirarchy and status, or by fighting to buy the last Sweet Bread in the cafeteria shop after felling countless rivals - the time of lunches is like a tiny window into Real World Experience.

For Daichi, lunch time is an opportunity to give a resounding 'Fuck you' to all of the above.

Having no bonds to strengthen, no specially made bento boxes to show off, and no interest in sweet bread, all Daichi cares for is bumming around school as he waits for this kafkaesque quagmire of studies and lectures to reach its conclusion come the afternoon. School was bad enough all on its own, but Ohtori Academy was something else altogether. No matter how many years Daichi had already spent within these vibrant halls, the academy remains a constant reminder of the pressure his family puts on him, expecting him to excel at his studies and become a shining pillar of the Yakuza community.

Trudging through the Acadamy with his hands in his pockets, Daichi glares at anyone who stands in his path, the force of his look alone enough to send students stumbling out of the way. Behind him, the ghostly form of Sora follows, the bright sun streaming through the hallay windows dancing through her iridescent kimono.

Stopping at a vending machine off by the corner, Daichi fishes around for some money and deposits it into the contraption. Finger hovering around the many buttons at the side, the delinquent pulls on his nose in disdain and buys himself some canned coffee. Truth be told, this particular male student would love nothing more than to go to sleep and forget about his troubles and his life, but unfortunately there was n o e s c a p e.

As the machine whirs and processes the order, Sora tilts her head in curiosity before leaning forward, sticking her ghostly noggin' through the machine in order to observe its inner machinations. CLANG! The requested can drops down the main shaft all too soon and Sora pulls her head back out, a hand to her chin in thought. "Fascinating," she murmurs.

Daichi ignores her, claiming his can in silence. Tapping on the aluminum top a few times, he cracks open the tab with a familiar pressurized hiss and takes a swig. Ugh, bittersweet.

Turning to walk away, the male student only manages half-a-step before Sora's voice stops him.

"Again," she says.

Daichi gives a languid twist of his head, glancing at Sora over his shoulder with a befuddled frown. "Huh?"

Sora points at the vending machine. "Buy another," she clarifies.

Daichi considers protesting but ultimately just sighs. It wasn't unheard of for Sora to try out various drinks and foods while transformed, leaving an awful aftertaste in Daichi's mouth after handing his body back to him. That must have been why she wanted him to buy another can. And so Daichi does just that, and once again, Sora sticks her head into the vending machine, spying on each and every mechanical step undertaken by this miracle of science.

Once the purchase is complete, Sora immediately pulls her head back out and repeats, "Again."

"Wha--" Daichi stares at his female compatriot. "Are you fucking out of your mind?! I'm not made of chump change here! Why would I buy more?"

Of course he has to keep his voice barely above a heated whisper. It would be unseemly if people caught him talking to the air.

Homura Akemi has posed:

Lunch Time. The most important time of the day for etc. etc.

At least it is that for most people. Most people have lives to lead and plans for the future. They have families and friends and can laugh and cry together knowing that the only thing they have to fear are exams and social politics. True, the life of a student in Japan is not a charmed or easy existance, but it has a certain value to it. A value that shouldn't be traded away lightly.

Homura Akemi has no desire for these things. Since transferring to Ohtori Academy there have been many attempts made by various social groups to include the mysterious, beautiful, intelligent, and athletic young woman to their numbers. They've all been given the cold shoulder. Indeed, more than a few have been shocked at how easily this young woman has given them the cold shoulder. Some may have even begun to plot to bring her down a peg.

Homura Akemi doesn't care.

So what does this woman do on her lunch breaks then? Does she eat? Certainly, though it seems she does so swiftly. The bulk of her time is instead spent walking the campus grounds seemingly alone. It's hard to detect a pattern to her movements. Only someone who knows who she is guarding and who she is guarding them against would understand.

It is during one of these patrols that Homura is passing by the vending machines on campus. At first the person standing at one of them does not reflect in her eyes. He isn't the one she is looking for. Similarly she moves with such silence and lack of presence that one would be hard pressed to notice her passing behind you. Particularly if one were distracted by the increasingly unreasonable demands of a spirit in an iridescent kimono. It seems that today is destined to be no meeting between Homura Akemi and Daichi Daigo...

'Are you fucking out of your mind?!' The rest is lost in the hushed sigh of a whisper.

"Is there something wrong?" An evenly toned voice speaks up from behind Daichi. Should he turn to face it, he would find a Middle School aged girl, one of his underclassman, standing there and staring at him with cold violet eyes. She wears the uniform of a Middle Schooler, but like so many she has altered it a bit to her tastes by wearing a pair of black tights with brown loafers.

And no matter how much he scowls Daichi finds she will not flinch or look away.

Daichi Daigo has posed:

If history was any indication, there was a 77.8% chance that the argument between Daichi and Sora would have lasted for less than two minutes, at the end of which Sora would have gained the upper-hand by bluntly giving Daichi an unpleasant ultimatum. Then again, there was a 22.1% chance that Daichi would have gained the upper -hand through sheer determination, though that eventuality would have called for the young man to remain calm in the face of pressure -- which was a rare event.

And then there was the outlier... a 0.1% chance for a wildcard to present itself. How many lifetimes and how many alternate worlds have the many versions of Daichi and Sora experienced in which this wildcard manifested?

At the sound of Homura's voice, Daichi stiffens. His head whips around, followed by the rest of his body as he spins to fully face the newcomer. "Wha--Guh!" is his most eloquent response to the question Homura posed to him. Where the hell did she come from all of a sudden?

It takes a second or two to tick by -- Daichi grasping a coffee can in each hand and staring down at the raven-haired girl in shock -- before his brow twitches. What was once a stare becomes a glare, and the male student does indeed scowl.

And he scowls. And he scowls harder. And he scowls hardest...

The beads of sweat collecting on his brow weight heavily against his skin. This girl... had guts.

"What are you lookin' at?" Daichi finally demands.

As for Sora, her interest was, and remains, the vending machine. Homura only receives the most symbolic of looks before the spirit turns back to Daichi and says, "Buy another one or I will tell this girl, at length, about the Snoopy print on your pajamas."

Daichi's breath hitches in his throat. Maintaining eye contact with Homura, although his stare-turned-glare has now become more of an aggressive look of trepidation, the young man hisses between his teeth, "Shut up!"

Please just walk away, Homura, please just walk away, Homura, please just walk away, Homura...

Amu Hinamori has posed:

Lunch time is the best time. Today, Amu is out wandering... partly to avoid Kukai after he promised to do training today. She might not be able to escape the inevitable after school, but she can at least relax now!

The fact that there are two upperclassmen near the drink machines doesn't dissuade Amu from approaching, though there is a hushed conversation going on around her. "Amu-chan, Amu-chan, doesn't she look cool?" "Shhh, not now, Ran." "He looks tough. Maybe we should rough him up." "Miki, stop pretending everyone is with the Yakuza." "He looks grumpy. Let's make him cookies!" "...Suu! Augh..." The pink-haired girl presses her palm to her forehead. "Now shush before they see me and think I'm talking to myself." A chorus of 'awwww...' sounds as the trio float back into the case on Amu's hip.

Taking a deep breath, Amu finally approaches, steeling her expression. It falls into a neutral one as she pauses just by the two... then looks up at Daichi. "You're blocking the machine."

Homura Akemi has posed:

Anyone passing by this pair my indeed feel worried about Homura's safety. After all she's a middle schooler facing down a delinquent high school student who is clearly in an unpleasant mood, all by herself. She doesn't even have a posse of other similarly aged girls to back her up. And yet... and yet.

The second hand ticks by. Homura's neutral expression remains steady against the pressure of that Yakuza scowl. Finally when that pressure fails to crack the craggy indifference of Homura Akemi, Daichi turns to demanding to know what it is she is staring at.

And then he hisses between his teeth for her to shut up.

At least that's what someone else may have interpreted Daichi's actions as being. They'd think he had gone insane. That he was dangerous, and perhaps she should tell a teacher. Instead Homura breaks eye contact with Daichi to look down at the drinks in his hands with casual disinterest.

Or so it seems. In fact the space between Homura's ears is a hive of activity, thrumming with consideration over a thousand variables. Lines that can be turned on and off but that have implications that travel forward from the present and move onwards to a hazy, wavering future. She makes a decision. Homura's eyes snap up to meet Daichi's. Her mouth opens...

A flash of pink.

Homura's eyes widen suddenly, her raven locks whipping upwards as she turns to face...

'You're blocking the machine.' Homura's expression returns to neutrality almost instantly. No, of course not. She would be eating lunch with her friends right now, as she always did. Laughing, smiling, sharing stories. Homura can feel her jaw clench tight.

"I apologize. I had distracted Daichi Daigo while he was buying drinks for himself and a friend." She turns from Amu to Daichi. With one hand she reaches back, trailing her fingers through the thick silky tresses with a flourish flipping them back over her shoulder. "There will be time later for this conversation, after all."

Daichi Daigo has posed:

Once more, there was a 93.68% chance that Sora would have gotten her way. There was an additional 6.31% chance Daichi would have gotten his. And then, there was that 0.01% chance of something else. Yet another wildcard thrown in the mix. Every deck of cards had at least two jokers, after all.

But what were the odds that this particular deck at this particular time would..?

Amu's arrival is not nearly as sneaky as Homura's. While the latter's presence remained obscured from Daichi until it was far too late, Amu walks up to the vending machine like a regular human, with regular human legs. Or she would have walked up to the vending machine, had Daichi not been blocking it.

"Kch!" The delinquent vocalizes, sneering as he looks away from Homura so as to give Amu a sidelong glance. 'Little brat with her little bratty face' is what passes through the male student's head. He almost decides to buy a third drink as per Sora's request just so as to spite Amu and that neutral gaze of hers, but--

> "I apologize. I had distracted Daichi Daigo while he was buying drinks for himself and a friend."

Daichi's heart skips a beat. His pupils shrink, refocusing on Homura with a numb intensity. Amu ceases to exist. Sora ceases to exist. The Snoopy print definitely ceases to exist. And for a brief moment that could just as well have stretched to infinity, the only people to matter were Daichi and Homura.

How did she know his name? His /full/ name? He had never seen her before in his life. What else did she know about him? Was she related to another Yakuza family? The police? Teacher's union? Why did she mention 'friend'? If she knew who he was, she should have known he /had/ no friends! Unless she meant...

"Fucking hell," Daichi gives a breathy growl, alarmed and agitated, and agitated over being alarmed. Moving away from the machine, the male student instead steps right up to Homura, invading her personal space. "Who are you?" He whispers, looming over the girl.

Sora, meanwhile... well, she couldn't care less. Whatever ridiculous school-time shenanigans Daichi got up to were none of her concern. Right now, she simply wanted to watch the vending machine work again. And... it looked like she would get her wish thanks to Amu. "Oh good," she deadpans, expressing her nevertheless genuine approval.

--

The very same girl in her iridescent robes was standing on top of a tall skyscraper, observing the brewing storm up ahead. Her neutral expression was hidden only by a half-broken kitsune mask covering the top part of her face. The wind rushed around her in a violent gust as Walpurgisnacht hit the mainland.

Light Maiden Hope turned her head to look at Homura.

--

Sora turns her ghostly head and pushes it back into the vending machine, anticipating Amu's purchase.

Amu Hinamori has posed:

Scaryscaryscary, -both- of them are giving such scary looks! She's not sure which is worse, the surprise changing to neutral from the middle school girl, or the sneer from the high school boy. Fortunately, she doesn't have to decide, as Daichi moves for her. "Is that so?" Yellow eyes focus briefly on Homura as Amu tries her best to sound disinterested. So there's -another- party involved here.

A coin is brought to the vending machine, pushed in, and Amu reaches for a button... and then -freezes-. She... she can't get strawberry milk. Not with two people here to see her. Quick, Amu, think! What do cool kids drink? Probably coffee, even though it's not really to her tastes. Well... maybe she can get a milk coffee. That's still plenty cool, right? The button is pressed, and the can falls down. "You two..." Amu pauses as she reaches down for the can. "Seem to know each other, hm?" She glances up, one hand casually coming to a lock of pink hair and flicking it aside. She's not quite as good at it as Homura, though, partially due to having shorter hair.

Homura Akemi has posed:

--

Homura stands upon pillar that rises from earth to touch the heavens. The violent gust rushing past causing her hair to whip with a similar, violent intensity. She raises her left hand. The ring set upon her middle finger begins to glow with an intense violet light.

Purple flames wash across Homura's body, and within an instant she assumes the uniform of a Puella Magi. After the buckler forms upon her arm she reaches to touch it with her fingers. She closes her eyes, "This time for sure... I will be able to protect you."

By the dozens, more figures rise throughout the city preparing to meet the coming storm.

--

In truth, Homura was finished with this conversation. As implied she would be more interested in having this conversation later. Unfortunately Daichi did not seem to get the memo, and sure enough the delinquent is soon looming at her with even more fierce intensity. It is enough to stop Homura in her tracks. After all, he is whispering right now and the last thing she wants is for him to start yelling.

"I am an ally of those who know how to keep their compsure." Homura states coolly. Amu then speaks up. Really were it not for their uniforms it would be hard to tell between the two which was the elementary student and which as the middle school student. "Not really." Homura states in response to Amu's noting how Daichi and her seem to know one another. "I transferred to this school recently. I did not know him before I transferred here."

Leaning back, Homura tilts her head so she can regard both Amu and Daichi with her neutral expression. "My name is Homura Akemi. I am an eighth year student."

Daichi Daigo has posed:

"Incredible," Sora says after she pulls out of the vending machine. Through her observations, the girl had reached the important conclusion that: vending machines were really really ingenius.

Whether something was or wasn't ingenius might not have mattered in the slightest insofar as her vow to become Light Maiden Hope was concerned, but deep down Sora thought that she wouldn't mind protecting the sort of people who made vending machines a reality.

--

Light Maiden Hope stood amidst the rubble of what was once a flourishing city. Puddles of rain mixed with sea water pooled within craters and between building husks as a monstrous shadow rose in the distance.

The battle had been won, but the day... had been lost.

"Seek him out," Light Maiden Hope said to Homura. "Daichi Daigo. I will be with him. He will be with me. Do not tarry."

How many times have these words been spoken? Only once. How many times have this battle repeated prior? Countless. But perhaps this time... perhaps /this/ time...

--

At Amu's question, Daichi gives the girl a scathing look for daring to interrupt. "Hell no," he blurts at the exact same time Homura provids her own 'Not really', earning a disgruntled curl of the lips from Daichi. Honestly, with the way the two of them denied knowing one another so bluntly and decisively, someone with an over-active imagination might find it a bit suspicious.

"Keh," the male student proceeds to sulk as Homura continues talking, taking charge of the conversation in her own muted way.

"Look, whatever," he says, finally getting Homura's memo. Either that or he decides this much social interaction is too much to his liking. "You're a weirdo," he looks at Homura, "You're a weirdo," he looks at Amu, "And I'm outta here!"

Spinning on his heels, the delinquent begins his departure.

"Wait, Daichi," Sora calls.

Daichi freezes.

Sora tilts her head. "Buy another?"

The punk loses his cool entirely, swiveling back around and barking, "SCREW THAT."

--

"Screw that!" A similar cry escaped Daichi's mouth, standing at the exact same vending machine and holding five cans including his own that Sora had forced him to buy in another lifetime. Homura was there as well. She had sought him out... once.

--

Amu Hinamori has posed:

"An ally...?" That's such a weird phrase to use. Amu quirks an eyebrow slightly as she pops the top of her can. "Mmm?" A curious sound of acknowledgement escapes her as she takes a sip... ick, not as sweet as she'd hoped. But she can handle it. She can be cool.

"Oh, so you're new? Akemi, is it?" Her uniform marks her as an elementary student. Yet she doesn't seem concerned with things like honorifics. She is far too cool for that. Just a last name on its own is good enough! "If you need someone tos how you around, let me know. I'm with the Guardians, even though I don't wear the cape." The closest thing the elementary division has to a student council. Amu is being responsible today!

"Oh, you don't?" Yellow eyes narrow slightly at being called a weirdo. The corner of her mouth twitches, and she almost--almost--flies into a screaming fit.

Instead, she rests her free hand on a hip. "If we're the weirdos, then why are you the one who keeps yelling at nothing?" Pot, meet kettle.

Homura Akemi has posed:

'Seek him out.'

--

Homura walked past Light Maiden Hope, her hands clenched at her sides and tears falling from her eyes. The words reached her ears, but she did not stop or turn to reply. Her hand reached again to the buckler upon her arm. Again. Again.

... again.

--

It was certainly a bit comical in how the two denied knowing each other. One vehemently, and the other with almost complete indifference. Daichi doesn't take much longer after that to decide to fly off the handle. She doesn't stop him though. Any attempt to force him to calm down would likely just exacerbate matters, it would seem.

Her reaction to being directly called a weirdo is only a slight narrowing of her eyes. Unfortunately her advice for him to maintain his composure went unheeded. This time he even goes so far as to spin around and yell 'SCREW THAT!' ... but not just in front of Homura.

Now it's an elementary school student who is choosing to confront the high schooler. Well, Ohtori is just that sort of school. She doesn't respond to the offer by Amu to help show her around. Instead she simply turns to walk over toward the vending machine. It would seem that it's her turn now.

In truth she had not planned to buy a drink for herself, but events had unfolded differently. She slips several yen coins into the machine prior to making a purchase, no doubt to the delight of Sora.

... and perhaps to the astonishment of Amu, when Homura comes up beside her she will see the cold, mysterious beauty holding in her hand a bottle of strawberry milk.

Homura takes a sip from the container but remains quiet. It seems like she's not going to try and come to Daichi's rescue this time.

Daichi Daigo has posed:

To say that Homura was not going to try and come to Daichi's rescue was not entirely accurate. The act of purchasing her own drink was, in itself, quite a gesture.

"And she can't even hear me," Sora says, giving Daichi a meaningful look before diving right back into the machine. The girl has taken quite a liking to the working intricacies of the contraption, even if her emotionless state indicated otherwise. She could be passionate, deep down, when she cared to be.

--

Light Maiden Hope hovered high in the sky, rain pelting against her body. She raised his arms in a flourish, the extravagant sleeves of her kimono flapping in the wind. A flock of butterflies made of black vapor coalesced and materialized around the Magical Girl, swarming Walpurgisnacht and coating the witch's torso like a thick blanket of darkness.

A kitsune spirit made of shadows and smoke leapt from building to building before landing on the witch's clockwork mechanism, ripping into it. All the while the witch laughed, and laughed, and laughed...

Up above, a mass of dark miasma formed, battling the storm clouds for supremacy. From between the folds of dark energy, molten balls made of the night-time sky began raining down, exploding all around the monster that threatened to swallow humanity.

--

Daichi watches, stunned speechless, as Homura claims her strawberry milk. Did she do that on purpose? Just to spite him? But that didn't make any sense. As Sora said, Homura couldn't hear her - couldn't see her. The fuck was this? Some kind of mutant coincidence?

The flame inside of him that had triggered his outburst from just seconds prior still burning, Daichi has only one last thing to say to all of this. "Kch!" And away he marches, leaving Amu and Homura behind. He didn't like either one of them, and his dislike only grew the longer he stuck around. Like hell he would ever, EVER maintain his composure around the likes of Homura. EVER.

--

"I'm sorry," Daichi said softly. He was sitting in a shallow outcropping of water, propped up against the remains of a building. A thick slab of concrete covered one of his legs, and a metal pipe had pierced his shoulder. Light Maiden Hope was nowhere to be seen. Sora's spirit was nowhere to be seen.

"Shit... I'm sorry... so sorry. Fuck, this hurts... I can't-- hell with everything. What did she do with my body? Sora... you stupid... why did you..? Where..."

The delinquent looked up seeking Homura, eyes already glazing over. He found himself in this state when he woke up from the transformation. He didn't know what happened. Not all of it. And if Homura had any answers, she wasn't sharing them. All the while a plume of crimson was spreading in the water around Daichi, slow and deliberate, like a blooming flower.

--

Amu Hinamori has posed:

These two are so hard to read. And that not-yakuza-probably kid is -still- scary. So is Homura, in a way, but she's not -quite- as intimidating. Especially when she sees what drink the middle schooler has chosen. Briefly, Amu's eyes widen. Th.. that's not fair at all. Maybe she should try that next time. If Homura can look cool while drinking strawberry milk, then so can Amu! N...next time. It would be totally uncool to just throw away what she's already bought. And it really isn't -that- bad, though she really prefers milk.

"Hmph." A soft noise from Amu is directed at Daichi as he storms off. From behind her, a tiny blue-bereted fairy peeks over her shoulder, presses a finger below an eyelid, and pulls down as she sticks her tongue out. Amu makes a choking sound as she tries very hard not to laugh. Cough. Ahem. "...Are you sure you two have never met before, Akemi? Or maybe he's just that grumpy naturally."

Homura Akemi has posed:

--

Amidst the dead city, Homura stood amidst the ruins. The dead and dying were all around her. Nearby she could hear the voice of one: Daichi Daigo. She could tell from his injuries that he would not last for much longer. But she could have gone to him. She could have said something, said anything.

But she did not.

Instead the great shadow loomed over the horizon. Near to her stood a small, fairy-like creature. White of fur and red of eye, its features frozen in a constant cat-like smile. If it was talking though, Daichi could not hear its words.

And soon he could hear nothing at all.

... again.

--

'He can't be relied upon.' Homura thinks to herself, while taking another sip of her strawberry milk. Other than that she continues to watch him silently, her own features seemingly frozen. She could say something, say anything to him to explain things.

But she won't.

At least not yet.

Instead she turns her head slightly to regard Amu. "I have met him before." Homura says plainly, "Though, it is unlikely that he remembers meeting me." This girl pretty much lives and breathes in the cryptic, doesn't she? "Now if you excuse me, Amu Hinamori, I will be leaving as well." She finishes the last of her strawberry milk and tosses the empty container into the conveniently placed recycling bin. Then, with one final flip of her hair, she begins to walk away.

Amu Hinamori has posed:

"Really?" For a moment, Amu looks incredulous. How can you forget meeting someone like Homura? She's so pretty!

"Oh? Ah.. yes. Of course." Amu clears her throat softly. "If you need any help with anything or if you get lost, don't hesitate to come see the Guardians... even though you're in middle school. We're in the greenhouse by the flower gardens." And then the hairflip... Amu considers growing her own hair out a little. She can do something like that, but it seems to be even -cooler- with longer hair.